Statement of Strategy 2021-2023

The strategy sets out the department’s ambition to:

• improve the transition to further and higher education for school leavers
• implement a new 10-year strategy to improve literacy, numeracy and digital skills to ensure nobody is left behind
• reform skills training and invest in upskilling and reskilling opportunities in areas of economic growth including in the area of green and digital skills
• overhaul the Apprenticeship system and develop a new plan to increase apprenticeships to 10,000 every year
• put in place a sustainable approach to higher education funding
• introduce new legislation to reform higher education governance
• undertake a national engagement on research and science and develop a renewed national strategy to succeed Innovation 2020
• implement a new Access Plan for higher education and review the Student Grant Scheme
• grow our international reach and position Ireland as a leader in higher education and research
• support the establishment of Technological Universities across the country to improve access to higher education and to act as anchors for regional and national innovation and growth
• advance North South co-operation in higher education and research
• lead the COVID-19 response for the sector to enable higher and further education to respond to and recover from the ongoing crisis